A problem exists with regard to the use of sutures. Currently, a suture is attached to bone by either a suture anchor or transosseos bone tunnels. Suture anchors can be problematic due to their cost, the requirement of multiple steps for deployment and because they are left in place permanently in the bone, often adversely affecting future imaging (especially with MRI scanning) as well as having the potential to create problems in future surgeries in the same area where metal or plastic implants remain years after an initial procedure. They can create problems by being in the way during a subsequent or revision approach to that joint.
Bone tunnels can also be problematic, as they require two steps: first a drilling procedure followed by a suture passing procedure. Additionally, the surgeon can lose the location of the bone tunnel between the steps of drilling and suture passing, lengthening the procedure time and possibly necessitating another tunnel to be drilled (creating essentially a third step to the procedure).
Further, the drill hole must be of sufficient diameter to allow passing of the suture, which according to the art is doubled to pass through the bone using a suture passer, creating a tunnel that is at least two times the required diameter to contain the suture. The larger tunnel weakens the bone and can lead to catastrophic boney fractures. Oversized bone tunnels have also been observed to get bigger over time, possibly due to synovial fluid extravisation out of a joint through the bone tunnels, further weakening the bone.
Additionally, presently when trying to simply pass suture through a straight drill hole made in bone, many sutures are swedged onto needles, but most needles are curved needles, making a tunnel/needle shape mismatch. Problems can be created by this including breaking through the tunnel, misdirection through the tunnel, or as surgeon attempts to straighten the curved needle to match the tunnel trajectory sometimes needles break and sometimes needle breakage occurs while passing in the bone tunnel, causing inadvertent implanting of needle parts or a frustrating and time consuming struggle to remove a broken needle.
Thus, there is a need in the art for an apparatus and method for using sutures that eliminates the problems of prior art processes and provides an easy to use device that saves time and money.
It, therefore, is an object of the present invention to provide a suture drill device that eliminates multiple prior art steps for the administration of sutures in a medical procedure that is time and cost efficient, accurate, repeatable and safe.